Feeding mechanism for paper or cardboard.



c. H. HEYWQGD @L D. E. TRAVIS. FEDING MECHANlSM FOR PAPER 0R CARDBOAHD.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2s; 1908.

Patented Mar. 13, 1917 5 SHEETS-SHEET l.

m S e VQN iw M lf f o flieg/s.

C. H. HEYWOOD & D. E, TRAVIS. FEEDING MECH/msm Foa PAPER 0R CAHDBUAHD.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25. IQOS.

Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

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m for'ney C. H. HEYWOOD & D. E. TRAVIS. EEDING MECHANISM FOR PAPER 0RCAHDBOARD.

Patented Mar. 13, 1.917.

5 SHEETSMSHEET 4 Heywood, enzson 7510015; gli] www L" @kades/fAPPLICATION FLE MAR. 2G. 190B.

illnesses? C. H. HEYWUGU 61D. E.TRAV1S.

FEEDINGMECHAMSM Hm PAPER ne CARDBOARD.

APPUCM'QON HLED MAR. 2li, 1908.

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UNrrED sTAcrEs PATENT OFFICE.

CIABLEB H. HEYWOOD A N'D DENISON E. TRAVIS, OF WAUKEGA'N, ILLINOIS,ABBIGNOEB TO UNITED STATES ENVELOPE COMPANY, 0F SPRINGFIELD,MASSACHUSETTS, A

COBE'ORATION 0F MAIN E.

FEEDINQ KECHANISH FOB PAPER 0B CABDBOABD.

specmcanon af-Letters naar. Patented Mar, 13, 1917 Application-tiledHatch 28, 1908. Serial No. 523,812.l

To all whom 'tmay concern.' l

Be it known that we, CHARLES H. HEY- woon and DENxsoN E. Travis,citizens of the United States, residing at Waukegan, in the county ofLake and State 'of Illinois,

have invented certain new and useful 1mprovements in Feeding Mechanismfor Paper or Cardboard, of which the following is a specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a partthereof. l

The object of our-present invention is to provide a mechanism forfeeding sheets of paper, cardboard, or the like, to machines adapted toperform certain operations thereon, such, for example, as folding,cutting, slitting, orprinting. For the purpose of illustrating theconstruction and operation of a. feeding mechanism embodyingcurinvention, we have shown and described the same 1n connection with aprinting press for printing envelop blanks, which are supvao lportedupona feedin 4 table in apile or stack and individually fe t`o the cylindersof a ,rotary printing press. By means of ,the

'dnechanism embodying our invention the topxnost blank in the pile orstack isselected'and fed forward to the cylinders of the press, `andduring its transit is gaged and brought into proper position orregistration to receive the impressiomand these .results arcaccomplished by certain novel features of construction and arrangementof parts as herelnafter'described and po-mted out in the annexed claims.

. Figui-e1 is a side elevation of a print? ingpress and mechanism f or:feeding en- 4velopblanks' thereto embodying our present invention,with'a portion shown in vertical longitudinal section on a planeindicated by the broken lin 1-1, Fig. 2. y

Fig. 2 is 'a,p an view of the same, certain parts beingbyoken away andshown in horizontal sectron.-

Fi .,3 is a partial end view as seen from the r1 ht with refereucetoFig. 1, the type cylin er"a"portion 'of Vthe frame and other par A f themachine being removed and A parts shown i i vertical cross section.

wifi@ /igJ-A 41s la vertic 1 longitudmal section cn the line 4 4, g. 2

,\, ig. 5 is an enlarged sectional and `diagrammaticV view of the nipperand associated parts, illustrating the operation of the nippel'.

AFig. 6 is a plan view of the mechanism for picking up the blanks from astack or pile and feeding them to the reciprocating carriage, and dFigs. 7 and S are diagrammatic `views showing respectively side and planviews of a modification of the feeding mechanism adapted to a stack ofrectangular sheets.

Similar reference letters and figures refer to similar parts in thedifferent views.

Although for the purpose of illustration our invention is shown andparticularly described as embodied in a printing press, it is alsoapplicable to other 'machines to which lblanks or sheets of paper orcardboard or similar material are to be fed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings 1 "denotes the framework 'of the.machine, in which is journaled a driving shaft 2, an impression cylinder3, a type c linder 4, and a shaft 5 carrying a feed ro 1.6; Theimpression cylinder 3 is rotated by' a gear 7 mounted on the drivingshaft 2 andengaging a gear.8, the gear 8 imparting rotary motion to thetype cylinder 4 through a gear 9, as shown in Fig. 2. The feed roll 6 isdriven by Vii""llrcnnecticn 'from a pulleyl l0 on the driving shaft 2,and runs in contact with an idle feed roller ll, located below' it in anopening in the bed l2.

Mounted upon vthe .framework of the inachinc at one end areverticalbrackets 13, 13, for supporting that portion of the feeding mechanismwhich is employed to select the blank from a pile or stack and presentit tothe feed rollers 6 and 11. The blanks tc be fed aire supported in apile or stack 14 upon atable 15., to which an upward feedinginotion isimpartedby a mechanlsm such as is in common use in envelop or othermachines, but which is not herein shown or described, as 4it forms nopart of our present invention.

That part of the feed'n mechanism supported by the brackets 1 13, isshown 1n plan view in 6 and in vertical sectional view in Fig. 1, and itconsists of a rocking shaft 16 to which is attached a frame 1 7,comprisin arms 18 and 19 4provide with bearings or a tube 20, capab e ofa s idih motion in the armsj18 and 19 `and connecte tion pickup,

l29 from the shaft 5 through the at its upper end by a flexibleconnection, not shown, with an air pump by which alr is periodicallyexhausted from the tube 20. The lower end 21 of the tube 20 is adaptedto be brought into contact with the uppermost blank in the stack 14,and, when the air is exhausted from the tube 20, it forms a,suc so thatwhen the tube is raised the uppermost blank is lifted from the stack inthe manner common to suction pickups as they are now employed in envelopand printing machines.

Journaled in the brackets 13 is a rocking shaft 22 to which is clampedan arm 23, rovided at its free end with a slot 24 w ich incloscs a roll25, carried by a block 26 which is clamped to the suction tube 20. Inaddition to the rocking shafts 16 and 22 the brackets 13 support a thirdrocking shaft 27, to which is clamped arms 28, 28, in the free 'ends ofwhich is journaled a shaft 29 carrying rolls 30, 30, arranged to contactat proper intervals with idle rolls 31, carried upon'l stands attachedto the framework of the lnachine upon opposite sides of the backflaps 32of the envelop blanks, supported upon the feed table 15.

Rotary motion is imparted to the shaft 34 and 35, Fig. 6. The rockingsha t 16 carries a radial arm 36 which is operatively connected by alink 37 with a radial arm 38, carried upon one end of a rocking shaft39. The opposite end of the rocking shaft 39 carries a radial arm 40,the free end of which is provided with a cam roll 41 actuated by asuitably shaped 'cam 42, carried upon the shaft of the impressioncylinder 3. The rocking shaft 22 is provided with a radial arm 43,operatively connected by a link 44 and cam roll 45 with a cam 46 carriedon the shaft of the impression cylinder 3, Fig. 2. T he rocking shafiL27 carries a radial arm 47 connecterl by a link 48 with -a rocking arm49, carrying a cam roll 50 which is actuated by a cam 51 o n the shaftof the impression cylinder 3. Cams 42, 46 and 51 are-single acting, andthe motion of the rockingshafts 16, 22 and 27 are reversed by means ofsuitable springs applied there- V to, in the present instance, bytorsional is swung to the right.

springs a2, 58 and 54.

By the rocking of the shaft 16 the suction tube 20 is given an angularmovement forward and back between the positions shown in Fig. 1 andindicated by the broken lines 55, Fig. 1, anda vertically slidingmovement is given to the suction tube 20 by means of the rocking shaft22, which serves to carry the suction tube 20 downward into. contactwith the uppermost blank as the suction tube is swung to the left in.Fig. l, and then an upward movement before the suction tube As the endof the suction tube is brought `into contact with the ears 33,

envelop blank air is exhausted therefrom, and a vacuum maintaineduntilthe tube has rreached the .extent of its forward angular movement,as .indicated by the broken lines 55, when the vacuum is broken tovrelease the envelop blank. l

The suction exerted by the tube 20 during its compound movement causesthe backflap of the topmost envelop blank to be first raised from thestack and then carried forward from the position of the blanks, shown ba solidline 1n Fig. 6, to the position indicated by the broken line 56,Fig. When the upward and forward movement of the envelop blank has beeneffected, the shaft 27 is rocked to depress the rotating rolls 30, 30,against the end [laps of the envelo blank, which has been lifted by theupwe'r longitudinal movement and then drawn by the angular movement ofthe suction tube 20 between the rolls 30 and the idle rolls 31. Therotation of 'the rolls 30 project the envelop blank. forward between thefeed rolls 6 and 11, which continue the movement 0f the blank over thebed 12 of the machine.

The bed 12 has a central opening and is spanned with parallel lonitudinal strips 57, which support the enve op blankin its forwardmovement. Beneath the central opening of the bed 12 is a reciprocatingcarriage 58, which is supported and guided by a horizontal rod 59,arranged len hwise of the machine and transversely to t e axes of thecylinders 3 and 4. The reciprocating carriage 58. is held from turning uon the 100 rod 59 by a lateral arm '60, provide with a roller 61 whichis confined between horizontal guide ways 62. J ournaled in upwardlyprojectin ears on the carria e 58 is e transverse roc( shaft 63 rovidewith arms 64, .105 to which are a'djusta ly attached gage stops (i5. Thetransverse rock shaft 63 carries an arm 66, which is provided with aroller 67 running on a cam shaped guide way 68, having an upward incline69 at the end nea-rest 110 the impression cylinder 3.

A spring 7 0 holds the roller 67 against the guide way 68 and theadjustable gage stops 65 normally project above the longltudin l blanksupporting strips 57. Journaled downwardly projecting ears on thereciproeating,r carriage 58 is a transverse rock sha-ft 71, uponwhich'are mounted a pair of arms' 72 called joggers. The rock shaft 71car- 'ries an arm 73 which is provided with a |12o roller 74, held by aspring 75 against a cam shaped guideway 76, having a downward incline 77at the end farthest from the impression cylinder 3.

A reciprocating movement is imparted to 125 the carriage 58 by a cam 784attached to the shaft of the type cylinder 4, and engaging with aroller79 on one'a rm of a bell crank lever 80. The other arm of the bell cranklever 80 is provided with an adjustable 130 image1 roller 81, enga g onearm of a two armed lever 82h11 a tgdnnsverse rock shaft 83. Thetransverse rock shaft 83 is provided with an upwardly extended arm 84connected at its u per endby a link 85 with the carriage .58.

. e cam 78 is single acting, and the motion of the carriage '58 isreversed by the action ofl a spring connected with one arm of the lever82.' l j When the carrie e 58 'is at theend of its inovementnearest .efeed roller 6, the roller 7i passes downward over the incline 77,bi-iiigin'g the arm -73y and joggers 72 vinto the positions indicated bythe broken lines 87 and 88, Fig. "1, and carrying the joggers low thesupporting surface of the longitudinal. strips 57, to permit theenvelop4 blank, as it is projected forward by the feed rollers 6 and 11,to pass over the oggers into position behind the gage stops 6 which arethen in the position indicated .by the broken lines sa, Fig. i.

As thc carriage moves forward the roller 74 passes up the incline 77,thereby rocking the .shaft 71 ind swinging'tlie joggers for 'wardagainst the edge of the envelop blank to push it forward into contactwith `the age stops 65, said stops and joggers having een ad'usted sothat the normal space be `tween t ioni is substantially equalr to thewidth of the envelop blank at its points of contact with the gage stopsand joggers. The continued movement of the carriage 58 slides theenvelop blank along the'longtndinal supporting -strips 57, to hold it inpro er registration between the joggers 72 an the ge stops 65. As thecarriage 58 reaches tgz end of its movement nearest the impressioncylinder 3, the roller 67 rides upon the inclined surface 69 of theguide way 68, thereby rocking the shaft 63 and depressing the gage stopsbelow the slip porting surface of the strips 57, bringing the gage stopsinto the position indicate by t e broken lines90, Fig. 1, in order topermit the continued feeding motion of the env lop blank over tlre'gagestops.

-T e continued feedin motion of the en'- velo4 blank is accomplished bya grippinlg -mec ianism arried by the impression cy inder Esami3comprising a grippi-n face 91 formed at or adjacent 'to one of t elongitudinal edges of the tympan face of the cylvindex', andf'a pivotednipper 92 coacting with the gri ping face 91 to seize the advancin bgtheenvelopyblank. A rocking sha t 98.- joii'rnaled in the cylinder 3parallel witits axis and projecting therefrom -througli one of thecylinder heads. The

.- rockin shaft 93 is provided near its inner fend with a radial arm 94,and atits outerA end it carries a two Varmed right angled lever 95,having one of its armsparallel with the radial arm 94 carried by theinner end of the rocking`shaft93.

j cated bythe broken lines 89; andthe i U 4In the 'radial arm94andthepdrallel 'arm of the lever 95 is journaled a shaft 96 parallel with therocking shaft 93. The shaftI 96 is provided at its outer end with an arm97,

andfat/itsf inner end and on opposite sidesofthe rajdial arm 94 withment gears 98. One end of the nipper 92 .is orked to inclose Jthe sidesof the radial arm 94. The forked end of the nipper" is 'pivoted to theradial iii-m 94, and upon eachI side thereof is provided with gear teeth99 concentric withits pivot and engaging'segment gears 98, as

shown in Figs. t and 5.` ()ne arm of the two armed lever 95 is providedwith a roller 100, which is yieldingly held by af` spring 101,connecting said lever witli'the adjacent cylinder head, against the,peripheral face of a stationary cani 10'2, fixed upon a sleeve whichforms the joiirnalboxl of the cylinder 3, as shown in'Fig. 2. Similarly,theiirm 97 is provided withA a roller 103, which is yieldingly held byaspring 104 against a station* ary cam 105, vheld'by the sleeve of thejournal bo! of the cylinder 3.

The driving connections of the carriage 58 are adjusted to advance theenvelop blank at a speed corresponding with the peripheral speed of theim ression cylinder 3; The gage stops 65 an joggers 72move forward withthe envelop blank when iti'is gripped by the nippel- 92, and during thedepression of the' gage stops into the position shown by the brokenlines 90, Fig. 1, the joggers are moved forward into the positionindicatgd by the broken lines 106, Fig. 1. The movements of the carriage58 'and the im ressiofi cylinder 3 are so timed, that thepiorward edgeof an envelop blank advancing with the carriage passes under grip ingface 91 of the impression cylinder?? amilover the nipper 92, as shown inFig. 5.

The roller 100 inpassing to the .larger part o the cum 102 swings thearm 941A backward, and carries the nipper underneath the advancingpro/site the gripping face 91. The roller 103 1n passin from the smallerto the larger.

part vof te cam 105 swings the'nippei' in-` ard and grips. the envelopblank againstl te face 91 and, as the gage sto s 65havc`.

movement. When thc carriage is reversedv the gage stops 65 assume theposition indi- 'ossee 72 assume the position indicated by4 t e brokenlines 87 and 88, allowin l succeeding blank to be receive from the feedrollers Gand 11.

The complete feeding-motion of the en-v` our distinct stagesr velopblank comprises frbm the smaller" envelop blank op.

soY

ion

the next first, .the selection and p'resenta'tV `of, (he/,j

blank to the feed rollers 6 andil .j 'second/Q" from the pick-upintermittently b the projection of the blank forward over thereciprocating carriage by the feed rollers 6 and 11; third, tlie advancemovement of theA the envelop blank over the reciprocating cnr- Y riage gthe mechanism of the third lstage continuesthe forwardmovement of theenvelop blank and, during its period of movement, brings it intoregistration with the gage stops 65 and in position for subsequent'operation upon the envelop blank.

Various changes in the details of construction and inthe arrangement ofparts may be made vto adapt the mechanism to-difl'erent machines forvarious purposes, without departing from the principle and intendedscipe of our invention.

. n Figs. 7 and 8 I have shown a slight modification in the arrangementof the mechanism for the first stage of the feeding movement, by whichit is adapted for feeding square sheets. In the modified form shown india ranimatic view in Figs. 7 and 8 the idle ro ls 31, which arearranged on opposite sides of the stack 14, are exchan d for acontinuous roll 107 which is place in frontv of the stack 108 of squaresheets.

Swinging feed rolls 109 are'carried upon separate shafts 110', 111,driven with imiforin rotation from opposite sides of the machine,thereby forming a gap between the rolls 109 for the swinging movement ofthe suction tube 20. A

The suction tube 20, as used in machines of this class, is Aterined apickup or a suction ickup, as its principal function is to engage ysuction the uppermost blank in the-stack and to lift it from the stackin position to be moved forward by the feeding mecha-l nism. Thissuction pickup is providediit its lower end with a inouth'adapted to-foim an air tight joint when it is ressed in close contact' with theblank.v Air is exhausted the action of an air pump having a flexib econnection with the pick-up, 'and when the vacuum is broken the blankbecomes released from the end of the pick-up. We have not shown indetail the construction of the pick-up or 'its connected air pump, asthese features are in common use and their construction and operationwill .be understood by those conversantwithtliis class of machines.

1. In a feeding nicrliiinisni of the kind specified, moans for su)porting the blank to be fed, a suction pirciip adapted to engage tlulforward edge of said blank, a constantly operating blank 'forwurdin anda pair of normally separated ro ls interposed in the paitli of saidblank between said constantly operating forwarding means and the edge ofsaid blank, means for operating said pukiip to engage tlie blank and todeposit it between tlu` separated rolls of said pair, and iiiezins forthereafter bringin Said rolls together to feed the blank to saicoiistantl operating forwarding means.

2. fin n mechanism of tlie kind specified, means for supporting tlieblank to be fed, a suction pickup adapted to engage the forward edge ofsaid blank, pairs of normally means,

separated rolls on each side of said pickup y and in advance of tlieforward edge of said blankmeans for operating said pickup to carry tlieedge of the blank, b the exertion of a tensileI strain on the bla'nlibetween the separated rolls of said pairs, and means for thereafterbringing tlie rolls of said pairs together to continue the forwardmovement of said blank.

3. lIn a feedin mechanism of the kind specified, means or supporting ablank to be fed, :i suction pickup adapted to engage the blank :it itsextreme forward oint, pairs of feed rolls disposed rearwardly of thepoint of engagement 4of said pickup and iii advance oftliewiongitudinally alined portions of the for 1rd edge of said blank,and means for ving said .icku forwardly, whereby tl'i-l forward e( geoi] said blank is drawn into the biglit of said feed rolls by theexertion of a tensile strain on the blank.

4. In a feeding mechanism of the kindv 5. In a feeding mechanism of thekind specified, a support for the material to be fed, a rocking shaftabove said support, a Swingin frame carried by said shaft, a snction picup slidable in said frame, a second A rocking shaft, an arm carried bysaid second shaft with its free end engaging said pickup to impart an upand down .movement thereto in said frame, a eonn11on.ca1n shatt forconsaid roeking shafts, two pairs of normally Separated feed rollshavine their axes located in a vertical plane behind the mouth ot' sa-idsuction pickup and upon opposite sides of the plane ot' i si movement,and means for bringing said rollstogethe' at the end ot' the swingingmovement oi' said pickup.

li. ln an envelop machine. a blank feeding meehanism i-,omprising thefollowing instrumenta|ties:-a positively engaging constantly operatinglorul'ardimgr means, a snction pickup adapted to engage the forward edgeor' the blank, and a. pair ot' normally lseparated rolls in the pathotsaid blank between its edge and said constantly oper-- atingforwardingmeans, means for opertrolling the` rocking movement of both of.

ating said pickup to carry the blank into a.

position to be operated upon by said rolls when they arebroughttogether, means for releasing said blank fr0m id pickup, and means forthereafter bril said rolls together to project the bianli intotheconstantly operating orwajding means. y

7. .ln a feeding mechanism of the kind specilied,` a support for thematerial to be fed, a movable sue-tion pickup adapted to engagethe-material near one of its edges,

pairs of feed rolls located on opposite sidesV Jol-IN E. Rea-imola.

